


Aftershock

by blondieschick



Series: Shattered Love [2]
Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom
Genre: Engagement, F/M, Hollywood, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 19:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4191429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blondieschick/pseuds/blondieschick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things finally seem to be working out. Charlotte's relationship with Benedict is flourishing and her career seems to be on track. It seems too good to be true and it somehow turns out that all is not as it seems. An unexpected snag in Ben's past comes to light and manages to tear them apart, not to mention the Charlotte's ex' inability to let go. Can their once perfect relationship withstand such outside pressure or is it doomed to fail? Will love be able to really conquer all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftershock

**Author's Note:**

> Caitlynne was loosely inspired by Kate Upton.

Aftershock  
The cameras flashed in my face and I felt tears form in my eyes behind the lenses of my huge  
sunglasses. I felt a lump form in my throat and I knew that I was going to cry. I bit my lip and kept  
walking, pulling the small suitcase that now felt like it weighed a tonne.  
“Where’s Benedict Charlotte”?! I heard a voice yell and I almost tripped on my own feet.  
Don’t respond darling, just keep walking, it will all be over soon.  
Those were the words that I kept repeating in my head.  
Over and over again.  
It was like a mantra.  
Nicole’s face flashed in my mind and I knew that’s exactly what she would have told me if she were  
here. I normally was a quiet person but after the media storm had begun, I’d had no one else to talk  
to. No one else who would understand. No one who would see my side.  
“Did you really break Liam’s heart”?!  
I flinched, the words hitting me hard like a stone.  
It had been one month since I’d left my ex -boyfriend Liam in a hotel room in New York for basically  
another man. Benedict. My idol, my teacher, my best friend, and the one who made everything  
easier. The one who wasn’t with me. The man who I thought would never leave me had done just  
that a week before. In his defence, it had been the only thing I would have expected him to do. The  
honourable thing to do.  
Didn’t make it any easier to swallow though.  
“Have you talked to Sophie yet, have you apologised for stealing the father of her child”?!  
This time I had to bite my lip from breaking out into sobs.

They were right. I had taken Ben from Sophie. He had been happy with Sophie, he had even  
proposed but I’d had to go and ruin it. All because I was too selfish to let Benedict go.  
It was all my fault.

Suddenly, I saw the terminal end and there was the door.  
I pushed past the last row of paparazzi and all but ran for the car that was waiting for me.  
The driver took my luggage and I sank into the back of the car. The tears now streaming fully down  
my face, I was grateful for the tinted windows. I let the tears flow down my face, I didn’t have the  
energy to wipe them away. My arms and legs had turned to lead and all I could feel was the  
heaviness on my heart. It was like there was a brick lying across my chest and no matter what I did,  
there was no way I could shake it.

Benedict was gone. Gone to be the best father to his unborn child that he could be. No amount of  
tears would change that. Sleeping with his coat wouldn’t bring him back either. I knew that neither  
of those were the solution but it didn’t stop me from crying every chance I thought of him or heard  
his name. It didn’t stop me from holding the coat tighter than a child holds a teddy bear every night  
since he’d left.  
It also didn’t stop me from replaying the last conversation we’d had.  
The day that he’d left me.  
Benedict and I had managed to keep our relationship secret. We’d been living in the after bliss of  
leaving our significant others, caught up on the heady and dizzying effects of new love.  
We spent all the days we could together. If I had an event or work, he’d come with me and vice  
versa. If either of us couldn’t, we’d text and call and sometimes even Skype.  
It had been so perfect that I should’ve known it wouldn’t last. Someone from Liam’s team had  
leaked our relationship to the press and the next time Ben and I went out for dinner, there was a  
ready stream of paparazzi waiting for us. Benedict hadn’t dealt with it well at all. He’d taken to  
staying in as much as possible and he became more and more reluctant to come to events with me.  
Not to mention both our management was pressuring us to stay undercover until the storm blew  
over. I hadn’t liked it either but I wasn’t that new to paparazzi following me. Dating Liam had come  
with that all on its own. The Hunger Games had been huge when I’d met him, not to mention his ex -  
fiancé name dropping him every chance she got.

The paparazzi had only been the beginning. Sophie had called Benedict. I remember him getting the  
phone call and all the blood had drained out of his face. He didn’t speak for the longest time and  
when he did, he’d told me that he had to go take a shower.  
If only I’d known that everything had shifted against me in that instant.  
I felt the car move and we were driving through the labyrinth that was Melbourne, my eyes too  
blurred by tears to pay attention to a new city.

THREE HOURS LATER

I felt my phone vibrate against my leg on the couch. I jumped, the sound of my loud ringtone cutting  
through the silence of the hotel room. I’d been absorbed in the script for the movie that I was going  
to be rehearsing tomorrow. My first job since I’d left Liam. I looked down and the composed  
distraction that had come from focusing on my work melted away. The caller ID said “Ben”. My heart  
leapt into my throat and my mouth went dry.  
I hadn’t talked to him in 48 hours and it had been an arduous two days. He’d called four times  
before and I’d let it ring out, listening to the voicemail over and over again. Finding solace in the  
sound of his voice and descending into semi madness when I realised that he wasn’t coming back  
anytime soon.  
The phone rang and this time, I don’t know what came over me.

“Hello” my voice hoarse from lack of use.  
“Hello Charlotte, it’s me”.  
“Yeah I know” I mumbled out. He sounded so normal. Like everything was still fine. His deep voice  
smooth as honey, sending a thrill through me like always.  
“I’ve been calling and calling Charlotte, did you get any of my calls”?  
I felt my stomach clench with guilt. I felt terrible for ignoring him but I knew that he could always see  
right through me. The last few days had left me without the will to even try to pretend.  
“Yeah I’ve been busy, listen, how’s Sophie”?  
I blurted out the thing that had been bothering me the most.  
“Yeah she’s doing well, we went to get a blood test today just to make sure”.  
“Oh a blood test yeah”. It was all I could muster without my voice trembling.  
“How are you doing Charlotte”?  
“Oh I’m, I’m I’m fine” I stuttered out in a fake voice.  
“Is Melbourne treating you alright”?  
I looked out of the window, the sun was setting over the city. It was beautiful and I was grateful to  
be in a new city, doing what I loved. I really was. I just wished that I was feeling more in the mood to  
sightsee. Not that I would admit that to Ben.  
“Yeah, it’s really lovely, I can see the”- shit. I fumbled to find the right word.  
“I can see the Marra River from my hotel room”.  
I heard Ben sigh over the phone.  
“You can see the Yarra River from your hotel room, you’re staying at Crown yes”?  
Damn Ben and his travelling expertise. More like his expertise on everything.  
“Yes I am”. I huffed. As per usual he’d been able to see right through me.  
There was a pause on the phone.  
“Are you angry at me Charlotte”?  
“No” I blurted out far too quickly.  
“I know you’ve been avoiding me Charlotte and I don’t blame you if you are”.  
I felt my stomach clench and I bit my lip hard.  
I really shouldn’t have picked up the phone, Ben knew me too well.  
“I’m not angry at you, I just wish that things were different”. My voice broke on the last word and I  
pursed my lips to keep my composure.  
“Charlotte, you have a habit of keeping silent even when you don’t agree. If you are, then just tell  
me”.

I was angry at him, but it was a useless anger. I was angry that his selflessness was keeping us apart,  
that his sense of responsibility, one of the things I most admired about him had sent him back to  
Sophie. The only thing that I felt was sadness. Sadness that he’d left me to fend off the press by  
myself when I really needed him to be there. I wasn’t as used to all of this as he was. I mean this was  
my first real taste of what life in the spotlight was like and I was being burned by it. It was selfish but  
I couldn’t help the feeling of resentment and abandonment that I felt every time I thought about  
him.I couldn’t tell him that. It would change nothing and it would only hurt him so I kept silent.

“It wouldn’t change anything” I mumbled.  
“So you are angry at me” he sounded almost relieved.  
“I just miss you and it’s just all this rubbish with the press that’s really wearing me down”.  
“I miss you too Charlotte, I just, need some time to figure things out with Sophie and this baby, then  
everything will go back to normal, I promise”.

Those were the exact words he’d used when he told me that he was going back to Sophie.  
I felt a pang when he uttered them again.  
No matter how many times he told me that everything would be fine, I knew it was the total  
opposite. I knew that Sophie still probably loved him and wanted to marry him. She probably wanted  
a stable father for her child- I know I would do everything to be a family if I were having Ben’s child.  
She probably just saw me as a loose end, that Ben would see his child and forget all about me.  
It hurt to think that another woman was taking Ben away from me, but what really hurt the most  
was knowing that there was nothing that I could really do about it.

THE NEXT DAY

The phone call with Ben really helped me and I was somehow able to make it to my rehearsal  
without falling to pieces. I was glad because I had to focus on the film. Today was the day I was  
meeting the full cast for the first time for rehearsals, it was an exciting day. The first day of  
rehearsals were my favourite day because that’s when you really get a sense of what the movie is  
going to be like. Whether or not you’ll like the other cast members or the director. It was also my  
favourite because it had been the day I’d met Ben. The car picked me up in front of the hotel and I  
was glad there was no paparazzi waiting. There must have been another more important story  
somewhere else.I heard my phone vibrate and I looked down. The caller ID read “Nicole”.  
I answered my manager’s call half relieved and half disappointed that it wasn’t Ben.

“Hello Nicole”.  
“Hello Charlotte, how are you”?  
“I’m good, I’m on my way to rehearsals at the studio”.  
“You actually sound well, are things okay again with Ben”?  
Her voice was hesitant.  
“Not exactly but they are better”.  
“Great, it will all be over soon, there’s always some new story around the corner, some new mess  
for another manager to clean up”.  
I laughed. Nicole always managed to make me feel a tiny bit better. She was the best manager  
anyone could ask for, she was always there for me. I know that people always say that it’s a total no  
no to befriend the people that work for you but she was an exception.  
She was excellent at her job and gave me no cause to regret having her as a friend. When I’d fallen  
out of touch with a lot of old friends who didn’t understand my fame or my schedule, Nicole had  
been there for me.  
“I also rang you to tell you that they’ve changed the male support”.  
“What, so last minute”?  
“Yes I’m afraid so, Scott Eastwood’s team said he had scheduling conflicts”.

Damn. I’d auditioned with Scott and we’d had great chemistry, not to mention his characterisation  
was excellent. He’d seemed like a decent guy and I was disappointed that I had lost him as a love  
interest.  
“Well do you know who they’ve gone with”?  
The car stopped and grabbing my stuff, I got out.

I’d been too distracted to notice the hoard of camera men waiting for me. The lenses zooming and  
flashing in my face. I cursed and pulled out my sunglasses. I guess I should have known that a day  
without the paparazzi was too much to ask.  
“No idea, the studio’s been so tight lipped it has me worried that it’s somebody completely terrible”.  
Ignoring the cameras, I walked into the studio.  
“Oh I’m sure they aren’t that bad, they probably went with Jai Courtney or something”…

My voice trailed off as I saw someone standing with their back to me and I lost my voice.  
“Listen, I’ll call you back”. I ended the call without pause and strode forward, not daring to believe it.  
There was a busty tall blonde girl wrapped around him, she kept stroking the back of his head and  
whispering into his ear. I heard someone call my name and they both turned. I felt all the air leave  
my lungs, it was Liam. Dear God, of all the bloody chances in hell.  
His face instantly changed and the girl narrowed her eyes at me.  
In that moment, I would have given anything for the ground beneath me to swallow me whole.  
“Charlotte”!

I turned and saw the person that had called my name was the director.  
He was a man in his fifties with crooked glasses and a kindly smile.  
I shook his hand and tried to ignore the sharp looks coming from Liam’s direction.  
“Hello I’m Sam, it’s so nice to meet you properly at last and get this show on the road”.  
“Yes it really is, I can’t wait to start filming”.  
He glanced back at Liam and furrowed his eyebrows. He lowered his voice:

“I only found out about the casting the other day, I’m sorry if it causes any trouble but he really was  
the best choice”.  
I grimaced.  
“So you know about Liam and I’s past”?  
“Yes and I completely respect your privacy”.  
I decided that I was going to like this director.

After that, the director ushered Liam and I into a rehearsal room where all the other cast members  
were waiting. Liam’s girlfriend pouted and kissed him goodbye, swinging her showy Louis Vuitton  
bag over her shoulder and sending me daggers.  
It really scared me to think that she was meant to be my replacement. It made me wonder if Liam  
had seen me that way when he had asked me to be his girlfriend.  
A hush descended as we entered and I could only guess what everyone was thinking as we walked  
in. We were the talk of the town.  
The director cleared his throat and launched into introducing us as our characters to the other actors  
and crew present.  
We sat at opposite ends of the room and watched other people rehearse their scenes, waiting for  
our turn to come. I started the relaxation and breathing techniques that Ben had taught me, trying  
to tune everything and everyone out. I couldn’t afford for my emotions to get the best of me today, I  
was a new actor and every good reference I could get could mean more work or more exposure. I  
had to forget about Ben, Sophie, and Liam- everything and just focus on the task at hand.  
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up. I jumped, Liam was standing over me.  
“Sam wants us to talk, our scene is up next”.

I swallowed and stood up nervously. I was glad the rest of the cast’s attention was diverted, I didn’t  
want any more unnecessary attention drawn to myself. Liam opened the door that we’d come  
through and we were back in the foyer area that we’d been standing in before. Liam kept walking  
and we found ourselves in a deserted corridor. Why was it that Liam and I always found ourselves in  
some silent hallway?  
I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as Liam turned to face me.  
He had set his jaw and his eyes were a stormy dark blue.  
I looked away quickly and cleared my throat.  
“Liam, I really don’t want to fight with you”.  
“What makes you think I want to”?  
I looked up.  
“You don’t”? “It’s just that last time we”-  
He interrupted me, his voice cold as his stormy eyes.  
“I don’t care anymore Charlotte, I went for this role because I wanted to, and I wasn’t going to turn it  
down just to avoid you”.  
“Look, I get that you’re over me but I just wish that we could keep it professional, that’s all I want. I  
don’t want your forgiveness or whatever, I just want to get this done without us killing each other”.  
“I can’t promise you that Charlotte, every time I see you, all I remember is that you lied to me and  
tore me apart when I was last with you, I can’t get it out of my head”.  
I sighed in frustration. Liam really had always been one to hold a grudge. It was too much to ask that  
he’d be able to put his anger at me aside.  
“Well what do you want me to do Liam? I can’t change the past”.  
“It’s not just the past, every time I turn on the TV or pick up a magazine, I see both your faces looking  
at me, how can you expect me to be cool with the fact that you’re happy with some other guy”?  
Liam really was unbelievable, first he told me he was over me and the next second he was telling me  
he couldn’t move on.  
“Well that’s not my fault Liam, it was somebody on your team not mine that leaked everything to  
the press”.  
“Yes well what did you expect me to do when people asked me what happened between us? Its not  
like I ended it”.  
I gritted my teeth. God he could be a real jerk.  
“Well I expected you to keep it to yourself like I did”.  
He puffed in his chest and strode forward, his eyes narrowed.  
“Well I’m not the one that cheated was I”?  
I flinched at his words. So we were back here.  
I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice even.  
“Liam, I told you, I did not cheat on you, I just had feelings for someone else”.  
He raised his eyebrows.  
“Do you really think I’m that stupid Charlotte, how long do you want to keep this charade going”?  
“It’s not a charade, I really do love Ben and we’d grown apart. I ended things with you properly  
before anything started with Ben”.  
He threw his hands up in the air, scoffing and turning away.  
“If you want to keep telling yourself that, you go ahead but I won’t let you lie to me anymore. It’s  
clear what happened. The guy’s a total creep, he screwed us both and left his pregnant fiancé! Why  
can’t you just admit that you made a mistake and he – I don’t know, led you astray”!  
“That’s not”! I started. I took a deep breath and started again.  
“That’s not what happened, yes Ben and I are going through some stuff but that’s none of your  
business”.  
“Well if you didn’t cheat then you’ve moved on really quickly, I mean you say you love him but how  
long have you been together? What about when you told me you loved me”? He stepped forward  
and his hand was on mine. I looked up and his face was right over mine.  
He was even more handsome than I remembered even when he was furious.

I tugged my hand out of his and stepped back. A vein ticked in Liam’s jaw but he didn’t push it. He  
just watched me with an odd expression on his face.  
Liam didn’t have the same effect as he once did on me. I’d always find him attractive and I hoped  
that we could become amicable again but we were over. He was in the past. No matter the problems  
that I was having with Ben, Ben was my future.  
“You never did tell me what you were doing with his coat Charlotte” he asked quietly.  
I blushed as I remembered the night when Ben had given me the coat. Liam had used it as a way to  
explain his crackpot theory that I’d been cheating on him all along with Ben.  
“Oh for God’s sake, it was cold Liam, I didn’t bring anything warm enough for New York. It was my  
first time here, he was just kind enough to give it to me”. I bit my lip guiltily, that wasn’t exactly the  
whole truth but telling him would just move us backwards. I hadn’t cheated on him and that was the  
whole truth and the only truth that mattered.  
I took a deep breath and continued.

“Liam I’ve moved on and so have you, that blonde is clearly more than a friend so you can’t exactly  
blame me for moving on when you have too”.  
“Charlotte that was nothing, that girl means nothing to me. I still think we should give us another  
try”.  
His face looked so sincere that it almost broke my heart.  
“I don’t think you mean nothing to her. You need to get over me Liam, it will only make things worse  
for you if you don’t”.  
He closed his eyes and his shoulders sagged a little.  
A moment of silence passed and he opened his eyes.  
“Liam, we need to do this movie and I need you to promise me that no matter what you feel, that  
you’ll leave that in this room”.  
Liam sighed and he straightened up.  
He half smiled crookedly.  
“All business then”?  
I nodded.  
“Okay then, I swear that I won’t let how I feel jeopardise this project”.  
All the tension went out of my body and I breathed easy.  
“That’s all I needed to hear”.  
I turned to leave but Liam called my name.  
I looked back at him and he still had that odd contemplative look on his face.  
“You know I’m always here for you right Charlotte, I’m never going to stop trying”.  
I felt my heart sink a little.  
“Yes I know”.

As I walked back into the rehearsal room I couldn’t help wondering if I preferred the Liam that was  
angry at me or the Liam that still believed that we had a future. I had no answer. All I knew was that  
I had to tell Ben before someone else got to him.

NINE HOURS LATER

I grimaced into my food as Nicole put the magazine away.  
I couldn’t erase the image of Sophie and Ben walking out of a clinic together taken only a day before,  
the way she looked up at him and his hand on her elbow. They looked like the perfect couple, the  
perfect English couple who were excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child. It took major inner  
resistance to stop myself from blubbering, from losing all the self-control I’d gained in the last  
twenty-four hours.  
I played with my roast chicken, unable to stomach the delicious French food anymore.  
Nicole touched my wrist gently.  
“Charlotte, don’t worry about it. Like I said before, it will blow over as soon as they find some other  
disaster to magnify”.  
I looked up at Nicole’s face, her brown eyes were warm and her smile was trusting. Gosh Nicole was  
so capable and even though she was only 29, she managed to organise my and several other  
people’s lives while balancing a husband and a two year old child. She managed all that while  
managing to hit the gym almost every day and fit into the size two clothes people sent me that  
didn’t fit.

“ I get that but it’s just really hard to believe when your face is on every trashy magazine and you  
have to swallow your ex- boyfriend’s smug satisfaction that he was right about how your new  
boyfriend is a jerk”.  
“Oh my God, how did that work out, I hope he acted mature enough so you guys could work on the  
film”?  
“Well you know, at first he acted like he did when we broke up: angry and immature but then he did  
a full three –sixty and told me he wants to get back together”.  
Nicole furrowed her eyebrows.  
“He wants to get back together, but I thought he was with”-  
“Yeah I know, that model. She practically was wrapped around him when I got there this morning”.  
She just raised her eyebrow.  
“Have you told Benedict yet”?  
“Ah the million dollar question, no I haven’t”- I raised my hand as she opened her mouth.  
“I know that I have to but it still doesn’t make it easier”.  
“Do you think he’ll make you ditch the film”?  
I shook my head.  
Ben would never ask me to do that. He loved the fact that we were both actors and were passionate  
about our craft, it was the thing that tied us so strongly together. It was the thing that tied Ben and  
Sophie together also, not to mention their unborn child a small voice nagged at me.  
I shook my head again as if to clear it.  
“No, he would never ask me to do that. He actually gets how important this is”.  
“He sounds like the perfect Hollywood boyfriend”.

I smiled as I watched Nicole finish her glass of red wine.  
“He can be”.  
Nicole reached into her capable and tasteful black handbag and pulled out a creamy envelope.  
“Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you know I have to”.  
She slid it across the table and I abandoned my lukewarm food. I picked it up.  
“The world premiere for the film is this week and you’ll have to fly to New York the day after  
tomorrow”.  
I put the envelope down.  
“You mean the Ritchie project Ben and I worked on, we only wrapped last month, I thought they’d  
be in post for at least another month”.  
“Well it seems that it didn’t take that long after all”.  
“Do you know if Ben will be there”?  
Nicole shrugged.  
“Before all this Sophie business, he would have been there for sure because it looks terrible not to  
attend if you’re lead but now I’m not so sure”.  
I suddenly felt cold, I’d have to attend a premiere without him by my side. I would have to face the  
cameras and catcalls all alone. In front of the whole cast too.  
Nicole was watching my face.  
“You know I’d try to get you out of the carpet but this isn’t an awards ceremony, you have to be  
seen”.  
I bit my lip.

“I know but it doesn’t make it any easier. Talk about worst timing in the world”.  
“Speaking of which, have you chosen a dress yet”?  
I grimaced remembering how I hadn’t even glanced at the photos Nicole had given me.  
“I take that as a no. You have to choose one, look, if it makes it easier I’ve narrowed it down”.  
“And”?  
“I really liked the white starry Valentino, there’s a really cool silver Balmain one and a sexy pink  
Cushnie one”.  
I was feeling reckless and I decided to take a gamble.  
“The pink one, is it super sexy”?  
Nicole raised an eyebrow.  
“Of course it is, it’s tight and stops just below the knee. The best bit is the cut-out that shows the top  
of your stomach and the metal grommets”.

Good I thought. Everyone would be expecting me to be some harlot so I would dress the part. Plus,  
a small part of me couldn’t help acknowledging that Ben would probably see it. There was no way  
Sophie would be wearing anything that sexy anytime soon, she was far too sensible to wear a midriff  
bearing number either. I knew it was petty but I couldn’t help it.  
“That one will be perfect, have them send it”.  
“You know there’s an after-party too, it’s actually a masked ball. Some old friend of Richie’s is  
throwing it for him”.  
“Pick the other dress and the mask too then”.  
Nicole nodded satisfied.  
I finished my drink and got up to leave.  
“I have to be up early as you know, I’m gonna head off”.

This time Nicole grimaced.  
“What is it”?  
“I suggest you sit down for this one”.  
I just crossed my arms over my chest. She’d already given me more than enough bad news for one  
night.  
Nicole sighed.  
“A little birdy told me that Liam’s PR managed to wrangle their way into getting him an invite to the  
premiere”.  
“What”? “Why”? I uncrossed my arms and sat down.  
“Well you know they’ve been having a field day with this whole debacle and they think it’ll get him  
more press if you guys are seen at the same event, not to mention if Ben’s not there, you know how  
it’ll look”.  
“TMZ will have a field day” I muttered.  
“The studio wasn’t exactly against it either, they also want more publicity for the movie”.  
“It’s as if the whole world’s gone mad”.  
Nicole nodded sympathetically.  
“We’ll get through it, Charlotte, I swear. It’s just this premiere and then you can put your head down  
and focus on getting this movie done”.  
I nodded but deep down I knew it wouldn’t stop with the movie.  
Nothing would be right ever again and it was foolish to think that it would.

When I got back to my hotel room, I was so exhausted that I had to force myself to take off my  
clothes and crawl into my bed. Unfortunately, a good night’s sleep was not on the agenda for that  
night because I was rudely awakened at two in the morning by the blaring of my mobile phone. The  
caller ID read Ben and I answered it confounded as to why he’d be calling me so late.  
“Hello”.  
“Hello, were you asleep”?  
“Yes, it’s 2am here”.  
“I’m sorry Charlotte but I had to call you”.  
“Hmm” I grumbled into the phone. He did sound guilty so I let it slide.  
“Is it true that Liam is the supporting for the film”?  
With those words, I was completely awake.  
Shit. I’d totally forgotten to tell him.  
“I was going to tell you but I had this thing with Nicole”.  
“I’m not mad that you didn’t tell me, I just don’t know how to deal with you being around him”.  
“Well it’s too late to pull out now, the contracts were signed ages ago”.  
“No, I’d never ask you to compromise your career like that but he’s still your ex”.  
“If it makes you feel any better, we almost had a raging argument”.  
He chuckled.  
“No it doesn’t make me feel any better”.  
“He showed up with some girl clinging to him like moss”.

“So he’s over you and doesn’t want to kill you”?  
I bit my lip.  
“Well not exactly but we’re getting there”.  
“Hmmmm, that’s not exactly the answer that I was expecting”.  
“Well if it makes you feel better we only have one kiss in the entire script”.  
This time he didn’t laugh.  
“No this isn’t making me feel better, what aren’t you telling me Charlotte”?  
“Nothing” I squeaked.

While I knew that I had to tell Ben about Liam and I playing love interests, I knew that telling him  
that Liam was most definitely not over me and wanted to get back together wouldn’t make anything  
better for me. Besides, it’s not like I expected him to tell me everything about what he was doing  
with Sophie. I trusted him.

“Don’t you trust me Ben”?  
I heard him sigh and I could tell that he was rubbing his hand over his face in frustration.  
“It’s not you that I don’t trust, it’s him”.  
Ben did have a point there. While I’d made every effort to avoid Liam on set, he’d continued staring  
at me in a freakily intense way whenever I’d see him and he had been overly affectionate during our  
scenes. Not that I was going to tell Ben that.  
I gritted my teeth and decided that I would have to tell him about what Liam had said. I tried to do it  
as quickly as possible, like ripping off a Band-Aid.  
After I was done, Ben was quiet.  
“What are you going to do Charlotte”?  
“Nothing. I’ve already told him how I feel but it doesn’t seem to be working”.  
“I figured that, Liam seems like the stubborn sort. Maybe if I”-  
“No”! I cut him off. “He hates you enough and I really don’t want you two to end up in a fist fight”.  
“I have self- control” Ben protested offended.  
“Yes but Liam can tempt a saint into a fight. Besides, a wise man once told me, it’s not you that I  
don’t trust, it’s him”. I repeated in a mock deep solemn tone.  
“Alright alright, I’ll let you guys work it out”.  
“Good, now enough about me, what about you”?  
“What about me”?  
“How’s everything going with the baby”?  
“It’s just the same, we’re still waiting on the blood test”.  
“Are you coming back anytime soon”? I held my breath.  
“Charlotte, I can’t answer that, you know I can’t”.  
“I know, I know” I answered in a small voice. “I just miss you is all”.  
“Charlotte, I love you and I’ll do anything to make this work”.  
“I love you too”.

After our call ended, I fell into a deep slumber and only woke again when my alarm went off. I  
groaned inwardly, I was going to have to face Liam again. I showered, dressed and ordered a quick  
room service breakfast and then I was out the door.

When I arrived, there was no press waiting for me and  
I stepped into the rehearsal room grateful that I would have a break from jeers and catcalls before the premiere.  
I sat down and had taken out my phone when Liam’s girlfriend walked into the room.  
She was gorgeous, six feet with long legs, a nice rack and perfectly coiffed hair  
but I couldn’t help noticing that she reeked of insecurity in the form of thick layers of make- up and cheap perfume.  
“Charlotte right”? Her southern accent was so out of place in Australia that I almost laughed.  
“Yes it’s Charlotte, and you”?  
“I’m Caitlynne”.  
Hmmm. She sounded so sweet when she said it like that. She glanced back at the open door and I  
looked down at my phone once more thinking that the small talk was over.  
“You know he’s always talking about you”.  
“Hmmm”?  
“Liam”.  
I looked up surprised.  
“Well its probably just because we’re working on this film”.  
“No” she shook her head.  
I simply raised my eyebrow and waited for her to continue.  
“It’s been like that since we started dating, he thinks I don’t notice but I do”.  
I narrowed my eyes confused.  
“I don’t think I know what you want from me”.  
“Oh I think you do”.  
I put my phone away suddenly uneasy.  
“If it’s about our past relationship, Liam and I are over”.  
“Really”? I had to give her credit, she was shrewder than I’d given her credit for and Liam probably  
had no idea that she was onto him.  
“Yes we are, in fact I”-  
She flicked her wrist impatiently.  
“Yes I know that you’re dating some older actor guy but who doesn’t? What I want to know is if you  
want Liam back”.  
“Um I don’t”.  
“Come on, level with me here. Liam is a Hemsworth with a body to die for, you guys would make the  
perfect couple, why would you tie yourself down to some guy with a kid”?  
Wow, she didn’t hold back. All pity that I felt for her before melted away.  
“Look Caitlynne, I’m sure that you’re a lovely girl but I don’t really discuss my relationships with  
people I don’t know well. Liam and I are over as far as I’m concerned and if you’re having doubts you  
should talk to Liam about that”.  
With that I looked back down to my phone, glad the conversation was over.  
Caitlynne stayed for a few moments longer before she stood up and left.

I mean with a girlfriend like that, it was no surprise that there was information being leaked to the  
press. The girl had been digging and I hadn’t been about to give her more fodder so she could ruin  
my life even more than she already had. She had to have been the one who leaked everything to the  
press.

Liam walked in sans Caitlynne, his hands in his pockets.  
I ignored him, hoping he would leave me to my peace and quiet.  
He walked over and sat next to me. No such luck.  
“Are you texting Benedict”?  
I just stayed quiet, determined to ignore him.  
“So that’s how it is”?  
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.  
I put my phone away and started the breathing exercises that were now habit thanks to Ben.  
"Why do you always do that when we're about to start"?  
"It helps me relax and get in the zone".  
"Really? You never used to do it before” Liam crossed his arms.  
I nodded.  
"Since when"?  
I ignored him once more and I heard him chuckle dryly.  
"Of course, it must have been HIS idea".  
I continued and Liam watched me.  
"You really do worship him don't you? It's no surprise since half of Hollywood does too".  
I sighed deeply before answering.  
"He's a brilliant actor and it's only common sense to learn from him".  
"Yeah he is, I won't deny that." Liam admitted begrudgingly.  
"Good" I finished my exercises and began stretching.

Liam scoffed and kept watching me.  
"What does he have that I can't give you"?  
I looked at him sceptical. "Do you really want to know or do you just want to find a way to start  
another argument"?  
He looked offended. "I really want to know, I said it before. I’m done fighting with you".  
"Well for one thing, he gets me without having to ask".  
"Is he psychic now"?  
I shot him a look which made him fall silent.  
"We just seem to work well together you know? I feel like we're always on the same page and I can't  
lie to him about how I feel. He just always seems to know".  
I looked at Liam.  
"I really want us to be amicable but it won't work if everything I say to you ends up in the hands of  
the press".  
Liam nodded. "I swear I'll be more careful, nothing you tell me will leave this room".  
I cocked an eyebrow. “Not even to Caitlynne”?  
“No not even to her”.  
I nodded satisfied.  
"Well even before things became" I struggled for the right word "romantic, we were great friends.  
He was everything I'd hoped he'd be and more. He's unbelievably smart and incredibly funny".  
"Funny"?  
I nodded. "You wouldn't believe that seeing that everyone thinks he’s such a serious actor but he's  
probably one of the funniest people I've ever met".

I finished stretching and I relaxed back into the chair.  
“Does he know about me being cast”?  
I smiled.  
“Of course he knows, I would never keep something like this from him”.  
“Was he angry, did he ask you to turn it down”?  
“He would never ask me to do something like that, he knows that this film is important to me. He  
wasn’t really angry either”.  
“Jesus, is he a saint or something? I’d pull a fit if my girlfriend was doing a film with an ex-boyfriend”.  
I know I thought silently thanking the gods above that we were over. It would never have worked.  
I just smiled and changed the topic.  
“What about you and Caitlynne”?  
“What about us”?  
I raised my eyebrows.  
Liam heaved a heavy breath and sat back.  
“Well she wasn’t too happy that I took the film but she dealt with it”.  
His face was surly as he said those last few words.  
“Why did you start dating her”?  
“Well you didn’t give me much choice remember”?  
“Liam”.  
“I’m sorry but it’s the truth okay. I was a total mess after you- after New York and she was there for  
me. A friend of a friend hooked us up”.  
He was silent and I raised my eyebrow expectantly.  
“Well”?  
“Well what”?  
“What do you like so much about her”?  
“I – I guess I like that she’s always there for me and she’s a great friend”.  
Liam seemed at a loss for words and I felt sorry for him and Caitlynne. It didn’t sound like much of a  
relationship to me and everything would blow up eventually.  
“Why are you asking me this”? He looked around at the open door before lowering his voice. “After  
what I said to you, you know that it’s not real”. He put his hand on mine.  
“You know that I wish things could go back to the way they were before, I mean he’s having a child  
with someone else Charlotte”-  
I pulled my hand free.  
“Liam, I’ve already told you that I’ve moved on”.  
He leaned back breathing hard. He ran a hand though his hair.  
“You say that but every time we’re together, every time we kiss you can’t say you feel nothing”.  
I groaned inwardly. This was not going to work. It was like he blocked out everything that I’d been  
trying to tell him for days.  
“Liam that was a rehearsal, it’s not real, I still love Ben and I’m with him”.  
“I get that you think you love him but I mean are you really ready to be a mother to a child that’s not  
yours? Not to mention the huge age gap between you two, I mean that’s not healthy. It can’t last,  
you need to be with someone living a life similar to yours”.  
“I”- I stopped to think. Was I really ready to be the mother to a child that wasn’t mine? I mean it was  
a huge responsibility and one that would affect me forever. Could I live with the idea that he had a  
child with another woman, would she always be first in his heart?

I took a deep breath.  
Yes. I would do whatever it took to make us work out, I loved him and I was sure that would never  
change. Everything else was just background noise.  
“I love him and I would do anything for him” I finished simply.  
Liam crossed his arms and looked away bitterly. I saw the hurt in his eyes and got up and left him  
alone. I didn’t want to hurt him but I wasn’t going to lie to make him feel better. He’d just have to  
deal with it. Even though I let it go, a nagging part of my brain couldn’t help but wonder if he would  
get over it.

NEW YORK: PREMIERE DAY

I opened my eyes feeling thoroughly refreshed after a well needed nap. Shortly after arriving in  
America, I’d kicked off my shoes and dropped onto the bed. I’d just gotten off a twenty one hour  
flight from Melbourne to New York and it was nice to be back in our apartment.  
Ben and I had decided to get an apartment together since we spent so much time in New York for  
our work. We both loved the city and had developed a soft spot for it because it was where  
everything had changed.  
My eyes slid closed as I breathed in the familiar smell of our apartment: mainly fresh laundry and  
Benedict. Benedict. My eyes opened, he hadn’t called or texted me all day. I’d texted him before my  
flight but he hadn’t responded. Not a word, not a sound, just nothing. It was so unlike him not to  
contact me in so long. Maybe he was busy or maybe he just had other things on his mind. I felt a  
sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach. Or maybe this was his way of telling me that things had  
changed and I was no longer important to him?

I shook my head and checked my phone. Nothing.  
There was only the text from Nicole telling me that I had to go for a fitting in an hour at the Cushnie  
studio and that I would go to the premiere from there. Ignoring the weight in my stomach, I  
showered and ordered something to eat before heading to the studio, the premiere invitation  
weighing heavily in my handbag.

The dress was sexier than I could have even imagined and it made me doubt the wisdom of my plan  
of seduction. It was skin tight baby pink halter sheath dress with a cut-out that sat right under my  
sternum and stopped really close to my breasts. The seamstress had insisted on ordering me a dress  
that was a size smaller and she tailored it so close to my body that I was afraid that she would prick  
me with one of her pins.After she was done, they sat me on a chair and the makeup artist arrived to do  
my makeup followed by a hairdresser. I must admit that no matter how many events or award ceremonies  
that I went to, I would never get used to all the primping and bedazzling that happened.  
I could never forget how I’d always done my own hair when I’d been invited to some of my first  
few premieres. It was something that I’d never be able to get used to and it always reminded me  
of how lucky I was to be able to make money from something that I loved. When I was all done,  
they slid a pair of pointed pink heels under my chair and I stood up to put them on.  
I looked up and straight ahead into the mirror that faced me.

I breathed out a little shocked. The dress was like a second skin- you could see everything! My dark  
hair was slicked back into a straight ponytail and my face looked rather intimidating. The make- up  
was soft to match my dress but my cheekbones looked so prominent. My skin had been polished  
within an inch of its life so I looked golden- like a human statue. I smiled at myself in the mirror and  
took a deep breath. There was no turning back now, this had been my plan and I had no choice but  
to see it through.

When I got to the premiere it was already dark and I could see the cameras flashing. I opened my  
clutch purse and checked my phone one last time. There was a text message and I felt my heart leap.  
I felt a pang of disappointment when I saw it was from Nicole:  
“Good luck tonight. Nicole. Xxx”.  
I put my phone away and squared my shoulders.  
I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

THREE AND A HALF HOURS LATER

I took my drink and headed outside to the balcony for some fresh air and time to think. I’d been  
having a blast all night, but the heat that came with two hundred people being in one area was  
getting too much.  
The masked ball idea was great but after a while my face had started to sweat. I pulled off my mask  
and took a sip of my drink. The balcony was so far away from the party and so dark that you could  
really see the city. It was the perfect place to relax and collect my thoughts. I breathed in the chilly  
night air and was thankful that I’d chosen a dark silk kimono style dress that covered my arms for the  
after party. The pink dress had been sexy as hell but after a while it got old. It had been such a silly  
idea, based on my frustration at Ben and I wasn’t sure that if given the choice, I would have thought  
twice about it. On the plus side, I now knew that I could pull off a dress like that.

I was also extremely thankful that the red carpet had been kind to me and there had been no  
photographers who had yelled out rude comments about my personal life for everyone to hear.  
Nicole really had been right. The so called scandal had died down just within a few days and it really  
would all be over soon. It had put me in a great mood all night and it had been nice to watch the  
movie I’d worked so hard on and have some time to talk to people I hadn’t seen in ages due to  
conflicting schedules or just chance. Not to mention the fact that I’d managed to avoid Liam (due to  
no effort on my part) successfully all night. It had been almost enough to make me forget that Ben  
hadn’t called me in two days.  
Almost.  
Watching us so happy on screen had almost bought tears to my eyes. As much as I wanted to be  
with him, he wasn’t here. He was off with some other woman and I had no choice but to deal with it.  
No matter how much it hurt or how much I missed him it would never be enough. I could never ask  
him to leave his child. I loved him too much to do that. I rubbed my forehead in frustration. I felt a  
headache coming on. I put my empty glass down on the ground and I closed my eyes.

I don’t know how long I stood there but I felt a light touch on my shoulder and I opened my eyes  
startled. Liam was standing next to me, his hands now in his pockets. I sighed and I felt my headache  
flare up once more.  
“What are you doing here”?  
Liam smirked. “Are you surprised to see me”?  
I just rolled my eyes.  
“No, I meant out here. I knew you’d be coming”.  
“Did HE tell you”?  
“No, HEs not even here”.  
“I saw you out there, you looked beautiful and I wanted to tell you. Can’t I do that”?  
I just groaned.  
“No Liam, you can’t do that. I’m not even sure you should be out here”.  
“Why not? We hang out all the time now”.  
I looked at him incredulously.  
“That’s on set Liam, it’s for work. You’re my ex-boyfriend and I have a boyfriend. It’s not really the  
same thing”.  
“What is he your boyfriend now”?  
I just raised my eyebrows.  
“I’m pretty sure I’d know if he wasn’t”.  
“You guys have been dating for what, a month and you’re already official”?  
“How many times do I have to explain Liam, I love Benedict. We live together”-  
He frowned and narrowed his eyes.  
“You live with him? You wouldn’t even take the keys to my apartment and we were together for six  
months”!  
“It’s not really any of your business Liam, besides, where’s Caitlynne”?  
“I cut her lose. Look, I felt bad that I was using her and I’ve already told you, I want to be with you”.  
He moved closer and I felt his hand on my elbow.  
I ignored his hand and I refused to look at him.  
“Liam you know that’s not possible and I don’t want to be with you anymore”.  
“I know you do, you just won’t admit it”.  
This time he steered me by the elbow and I turned to face him.  
He leaned down and I smelled the salty sweet tang of alcohol on his breath.

“Liam, it’s been a long day and we’ve both had drinks. Please, I don’t want to have this conversation  
now”.  
“No Charlotte, I’m going to fight for you”.  
“Liam I”- All of a sudden he cut me off and pressed his mouth onto mine.  
I shoved at his chest but he held me tight. It was only when I slapped him that he jerked away.  
“What the hell Charlotte”?!

“Don’t you ever do that again Liam! I’ve tried to tell you a million times but you won’t listen. We’re  
over”! Blinking back furious tears, I swept past him back into the dark room and into the corridor  
back towards the party. I’d had enough of this crap and I wanted nothing more than just to go home.  
I turned into a darkened room and paused to catch my breath. Liam really was so confusing! First he  
hated me because I supposedly cheated on him and next he said he wanted me back! No matter  
how many times I told him nicely, he still wouldn’t-

I heard footsteps approach and I stiffened. I peeked into the corridor and saw someone approaching-  
a man but I couldn’t make out his features in the lighting and because he appeared wearing a mask.  
“Who’s there”?  
The man didn’t answer but kept walking forward.  
I felt a tingle of trepidation when he was only an arm’s length away which turned to realization and  
then anger. It must have been Liam.  
“God I swear if”-

Before I could speak, I was rudely interrupted by the feel of lips descending on mine.  
A familiar masculine smell reached me and I sighed.  
Benedict.  
His lips were so soft on mine and I reached my hands up and put them around his neck, the hair at  
the nape of his neck tickling my fingers. I felt my face heat up and a few teardrops leaked out of my  
eyes. God I’d missed him so much and it felt so great to be near him again. To have him hold me in  
his arms. His hands slid down my body to my waist, he pulled me closer and I moaned softly. I felt his  
lips move across my face, past my ear and down to my neck, nuzzling against my throat. I felt my  
pulse quicken as his lips moved lower and my fingers dipped into his hair. Regretfully, Ben stopped  
and I felt myself sway in his arms as he raised his head.  
“I’ve missed you” I murmured.  
“I missed you too”.  
I reached up to touch his face, my hand slipping around to pull the mask off his face.  
“What are you doing here”?  
I saw him smile in the dim light.  
“I wanted to surprise you, I knew you’d be here and so I hopped onto the next flight”.  
“But what about Sophie”?  
“It turns out that we’re not having a child anymore. The blood test came back and it was a phantom  
pregnancy”. I heard his voice break on the word anymore and in that moment I felt terrible. As much  
as I’d wanted him back, I never wanted his hopes to be dashed overnight. I knew how desperately  
he wanted to be a father.  
“I’m so sorry Ben, how is she”?  
“It’s fine, they’ll be others. Sophie will be fine in time I’m sure”.  
We stood there in silence, my head resting on his chest. I still couldn’t believe that he really was  
here, that he wasn’t going to leave me.

“You know when you first saw me, I thought you were going to kill me”. I felt his deep voice rumble under my cheek.  
I laughed.  
“Yeah well I thought you were someone else”.  
“Which unlucky soul deserved such a cold reception may I ask”?  
I sighed.  
“I thought you were Liam”.  
I felt him stiffen as he looked at me.  
“Liam? Liam is here”?  
“Yes he’s here, his PR managed to get him in. They thought it would be good for his image for us to  
be seen in the same place. Nicole told me”.  
I couldn’t read his expression and I felt guilt gnaw at me.  
“Why didn’t you tell me Charlotte”?  
“I – I honestly forgot to tell you. Besides I’ve been really unfocused”- I trailed off.  
“Why would Liam be following you into a dark room Charlotte”?  
I felt my stomach drop and my palms started to sweat.  
As much as I was angry at Liam, I really thought that now wasn’t the time to deal with this. Not to  
mention the fact that I’d dealt with it myself. I wiped my palms and I took a deep breath.  
“Earlier tonight I went out for some air and Liam followed me. We got into an argument about me  
not wanting to be with him and”-  
I broke off suddenly unsure.  
“And”….. Ben coaxed.  
“He kissed me”.  
Ben gently pulled my arms down from around his neck and he began to walk away.  
“Wait! Where are you going”? I followed him down the corridor.  
“To talk some sense into Liam. I’m not going to tolerate him harassing my girlfriend”.  
Ignoring the leap I felt at his use of the word ‘girlfriend’ I sped up my pace.  
“He won’t listen and besides, he’s probably drunk by now”.  
“I don’t care Charlotte, his behaviour tonight was totally unacceptable”.  
I stepped in front of him, my hands flat on his chest.  
“Please, you told me you’d let me deal with it. This isn’t the way to fix things”.  
“And you’ve done a marvellous job so far”.  
I flinched at the sarcasm in his voice and stepped out of his way.  
I heard him sigh and he stopped.  
“Where did you see Liam last”?  
I shook my head and swallowed.  
“It’s the least you could do after you kept the knowledge that he was here in the first place to  
yourself”.  
I remained silent, it was as if he’d slapped me. Why was he being like this? It was so unlike him.  
He raised his arms questioningly and I finally answered in a small voice.  
“I just don’t want anybody to get hurt”.  
“Well it’s a little late for that”.  
He moved past me and I just watched him walk away.  
I felt tears in my eyes and I knew that I had to get out of there.

TWO HOURS LATER

I’d been lying in the bed back in the apartment for a while before I heard the front door close.  
I breathed a sigh of relief and I felt the butterflies that had kept me awake fade away.  
I didn’t know how to react after Ben had left me at the party to confront Liam so I’d gone home and  
stared at my phone, hoping he’d call or text me. It was our first real argument and it had kind of felt  
like it would be our last.  
I sat up as Ben walked into the doorway and flicked on the light. I looked at him properly for the first  
time all night. He was wearing a black suit that was tailored to perfection as per usual, his hair  
perfectly coiffed and I blushed thinking about our desperate kisses in that darkened room. It also  
made me suddenly regret scrubbing off all my makeup and throwing on a massive t-shirt and pulling  
my hair into a loose knot on top of my head. He had an odd inscrutable expression on his face as he  
tossed my mask on the bed- the mask I’d left on the balcony in my haste to get away from Liam.  
I picked it up and played with it, avoiding his gaze.  
“Did you find Liam”?  
“Yeah he was still out on the balcony”.  
I looked up, narrowing my eyes for the signs of a possible black eye or scuffle. There were none.  
“And”?  
He walked forward, his dress shoes clicking on the floorboards.  
He took off his jacket and threw it onto the bed. He walked to my side of the bed and I swung my  
legs off the edge so I could face him.  
“He won’t be bothering you anymore”.  
I raised my eyebrows slightly frightened.  
“What did you do to him”?  
“Nothing, we just had a discussion that’s all”. He wouldn’t tell me anymore about it after that and I  
just decided to let it go.

I looked down once more at the mask in my lap, tracing its contours. “Ben, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell  
you, I honestly”- I felt his hand under my chin and he tilted my face up. He caressed my cheek  
before kneeling down in front of me so we were eye to eye, his hands on my bare legs.  
“No Charlotte, I’m sorry. I acted ridiculous and it was because I’d never felt that way before. I didn’t  
want any other man coming between us and I lashed out at you and for that I’m sorry”.  
“Its okay” I responded softly.  
“No it’s not Charlotte” I saw anguish in his eyes and I let him finish.  
“I never should have left you to deal with the press on your own, it was” he paused “misguided. I  
love you and I was foolish to think that having a child would change that”.  
I shook my head.  
“No that was your child Benedict, I could never stand in the way of your happiness like that. You  
mean too much to me and I would never put you in a position that made you choose”.  
He just shook his head with a slight smile on his face, his blue eyes dancing.  
“What”? I asked.  
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve you”.  
I frowned at him.  
“Stop being silly, we belong together and therefore deserve each other”.  
“Yes ma’am”.

He rested his head on my lap and I stroked his hair. I felt him stiffen and I stopped  
startled and with some trepidation I asked “What is it”?  
He looked up at me with the same strange look he’d had when he walked in.  
He didn’t answer but the next thing I knew, Ben had reached down and produced a black velvet box.  
My jaw almost hit the ground and I felt my eyes widen in surprise. Of everything I’d expected, this  
was definitely not one of them. He opened the box and I saw something sparkle. It was so surreal  
and everything was moving so fast. I looked up and Ben took my left hand in his.  
“Charlotte, I know that this may seem fast but I’ve made up my mind. I love you and I hope you’ll do  
me the honour of being my wife”.  
I felt tears slide down my hot face and I breathed out a single word.  
“Yes”.  
The ring was cool as he slid it onto my finger and it was only then that I really looked at it. It was a  
tiny vintage round halo cut diamond ring set in gold. It was so simple and classic- it was the most  
beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Ben pulled me into his arms and I’d never been happier. I pulled away  
and he wiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of his hands. I was of a single mind though and  
I leaned forward and kissed him. He tasted like heaven as he kissed me back, his lips made  
everything apart from us irrelevant. It was a soft slow kiss that made my hands shake and heat  
blossom in my stomach. It made time stand still, it was a kiss that meant forever to me and at that  
moment, forever was perfect.

THE END


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